People Who Smoke Marijuana Are Less Likely to Gain Weight, Says Study

Startling Discovery? Weed Smokers Gain LESS Weight Than Non-Smokers

A lot of weed smokers like their potato chips and pizza rolls — that’s no secret. What you probably didn’t know, however, is that despite their eating habits, they’re much less likely to be obese than those who don’t smoke marijuana.

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found over a three-year period, that 33,000 participants gained weight during the study. Researchers of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions study determined the weight differences by comparing the participants’ Body Mass Index and found that those who smoked weed, gained the fewest pounds.

Co-author and assistant professor of family medicine, Dr. Omayma Alshaarawy, said "We found that users, even those who just started, were more likely to be at a normal, healthier weight and stay at that weight. “Only 15 percent of persistent users were considered obese compared to 20 percent of non-users."

So, how can a combo of pot smoking and having the “munchies” result in a lower chance of becoming overweight or obese? The researchers aren’t exactly sure, but it’s possible that the fear of gaining weight from snacking, causes marijuana smokers to actually be more conscious of what they eat.

While this might be good news for pot smokers, researchers are clear that the results do not suggest that smoking weed will actually make you thinner. Alshaarawy said "There's too many health concerns around cannabis that far outweigh the potential positive, yet modest, effects it has on weight gain. People shouldn't consider it as a way to maintain or even lose weight."

In fact, according to a study published in 2015 in the Nature Journal, marijuana is well-known for decreasing the neurons that make you feel like you’re satisfied and has been known to stimulate appetites in cancer and advanced HIV infection. Even in that study, however, researchers suggested that smoking weed doesn’t guarantee weight gain, even if it does stimulate your appetite.

So, it might not be perfect — you obviously can’t rely on smoking weed to help you lose weight. But at least you can enjoy your buzz knowing it won’t necessarily lead to weight gain.